Ukrainians freed from Russia to be provided with ID-passports soon – ombudsman

The Ukrainian citizens who have returned to Ukraine following a prisoner exchange with Russia last Saturday will receive ID-passports in the near future, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova said.

“We have started the implementation of a joint initiative with the administration of the Ukrainian State Migration Service on issuing ID-passports today. New documents will be issued to the military sailors and political prisoners who were freed on September 7 and who lost them while in captivity or imprisonment in Russia, or if there is a need for their replacement,” Denisova said on Facebook on Wednesday.

The State Migration Service has arranged visits of a mobile passport service station to the places where the freed people are currently undergoing medical treatment, she said.

“I hope ready ID cards will be issued in the near future,” Denisova said.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 35 for 35 prisoners last Saturday, on September 7. Those who returned to Ukraine included, in particular, moviemaker Oleg Sentsov, journalist Roman Sushchenko and the 24 sailors detained following an incident in the Kerch Strait last November.

Among the 35 people who came to Moscow were journalist Kirill Vyshinsky and witness to the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) Volodymyr Tsemakh.